You eat the meat they serve even tho' you're a vegetarian.
You take the tacky gift; you find the common ground in your opposing politics; you smile, darling. And here's the thing: you mean it when you do it.
You suspend being right, or more evolved, or protected, and you intend loving equanimity - because you can.
You accept and flex because it expands you - and that's only good.
You soften because it feels really amazing for everyone involved - guaranteed.
You say thank you because elegance makes the world a better place.
Which is the whole reason we create boundaries in the first place.
Pack light. I wish I took this more seriously. Every unnecessary piece of gear complicates things and detracts from the experience. Aside from the bare necessities, things do not make life better. They often cause more stress and keep you from what’s most important. The lighter your pack the better. Life is too short to be burdened with excessive possessions, emotional baggage or regrets. Positive thoughts, relationships and experiences weigh nothing at all. Pile them on and leave the rest behind. They’ll lift you to the top.
Take one step at a time. Any major accomplishment can be broken down into a series of single steps. My pattern for the mountain was 15 steps up, 15 breaths of rest. I did that for 7 hours. If I would have only focused on the very top, frustration would have overcome me. If your summit is too intimidating, break it into smaller steps. Focus on those one by one. Eventually one step will be the one that puts you on top.
Don’t go at it alone. When climbing, a partner is a must. For safety, support, camaraderie, motivation and simply to share the journey. You’d be silly (and putting yourself in great danger) to go up alone. Life is meant to be experienced with others. It makes the valleys shallower and the peaks higher. Relationships magnify experiences and help you do things that prove impossible alone. Don’t leave home without your support team.
Listen to the experts. Halfway up, a passing guide told us if we couldn’t get to the top by 12:30 at the latest, then to turn back. Chances of late day thunderstorms were too great. As amateurs we would have had no idea. While we all ought to experience our own paths, it’s foolish not to learn from and observe the guidance of experts. Choose your life models wisely and keep them close by on your journey.
Slow down. As Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia says, “It’s about how you got there. Not what you’ve accomplished.” Despite what colleagues and competitors may tell you, there is no rush. Rushing on the mountain risks slipping, not acclimating to thinning air, exhaustion and possibly death. In life the biggest risk is that you miss the wonders of everyday experiences in your pursuit to the top. The top is secondary to the process.
Look back and take in the view. There’s never any guarantee that you’ll get to the top, but you always have the ability to stop, take in a deep breath, smile and enjoy the view-whether it’s miles of wilderness or two feet of fog. It’s all wonderful. Every moment of life is a new view to appreciate.
Save some energy for the trip down. We thought the summit was “just over that peak” half a dozen times before it actually was. Conserve energy. Things will inevitably take longer than expected. Don’t be discouraged. Budget your capital, energy and drive appropriately. Rarely is anything in life an all out sprint. Treat it like a marathon. You may need your reserves when you least expect it.
Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory. These are Ed Viesturs’ famous words; the first U.S. man to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters with no bottled oxygen. The summit will be there tomorrow and likely so will yours. If more planning, a stronger team or more support is required, then save the summit for a time when the payout is safer and more probable. If you are outmatched, know when to turn back, only to return stronger and more savvy tomorrow. Stay objective and don’t let short-term excitement get in the way of long-term fulfillment.
Failure is a part of the process. If we would have started our climb the week before, conditions would have been too grave to make it. Be ok with not reaching the summit every time. Falling short is inevitable. You will never learn more than from your failures…at anything. Embrace them.
A daunting summit is nothing more than a challenge. A challenge is simply an opportunity in disguise. You won’t summit every one you come across, but you will become a better person with each attempt.
There will always be another mountain. You are not meant to conquer them all. Past summits are simply preparing you for the next. With the right strategy, you’ll put the top within reach. When your summit arrives, you will be ready.
This year is a turning point. As cliched as it sounds, you're getting ready to take your powah! From this year onward, you will slowly climb to a career peak or a time of major culmination about eight years in the future. This is the beginning of your chance to walk your talk! The unusual sojourn of your ruler Mars in your Fifth House (the longest it's been there since 1962-63) totally energizes your creative output. Ever the artisan, ready to try anything new with your hands, many of you will create and produce more than you ever have before!
This Mars effect is the boost you need to kick off your debut into the public world. Depending on whether you're an early or late Aries, Pluto will trigger a huge change in your life direction in the next 12 years. This is unavoidable. It will allow some of you to take a hobby and turn it into a career. It will also make you ask yourself if you really believe in what you're doing.
I'm not going to sugarcoat things. You're entering a challenging time for partnerships and close friendships. The last time this occurred was around 1981-83. This year and next, relationships that aren't cutting it will fizzle out. Partly, this is because you're becoming stronger and more ambitious, which means you're upsetting the status quo of the way these relationships have been. You're changing and this changes everything else! Nevertheless, relationships that are meant to endure will last. No question. However, they will undergo major readjustments this year and next.
For most, the relationship with their inner self (call it spirituality or whatever) changes throughout their lifetime. But this year is different. You'll experience a real learning curve in terms of getting in touch with your deeper values, and also getting in touch with the importance of kindness and compassion in your life. This could occur because you meet a teacher or a guide. (Or possibly, you'll play this role for others.) You might study metaphysics, or New Age philosophy, or a traditional religion. You'll seek this out because you feel something needs to be healed. Actually, this is the best opportunity you've had to explore this very meaningful part of your life since 1998. C.S. Lewis said, "Humans are amphibians - half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time."
